McMansion
Architectural historian Virginia Savage McAlester, who gave a first description of the common features which define this building style, coined the more neutral term Millennium Mansion.
[1] An example of a McWord, "McMansion" associates the generic quality of these luxury houses with that of mass-produced fast food by evoking McDonald's, an American restaurant chain.
The term "McMansion" generally denotes a multi-story house that either has no clear architectural style,[10] or prizes superficial appearance and sheer size over quality, often both.
[15] In a development that runs counter to the previous boom in construction of McMansions, a 2009 report suggested that the Great Recession (2008–2012) has stabilized new house sizes in the United States.
Due to this demographic, which is more susceptible to boom and bust economic cycles, prices of McMansions tend to be much more volatile and are often fueled by speculation.
[12] Another reason why McMansions are generally found in outlying suburban areas is that lots in older neighborhoods are often much smaller and not conducive to such residences.
[10] The builder may have attempted expensive effects with cheap materials, skimped on details, or hidden defects with cladding: Though construction quality may be subpar and materials shoddy (from faux stucco to styrofoam crown molding and travertine compounded from epoxied marble dust), McMansion buyers are eager; the real-estate writer locates them in the generation of my angst-ridden Boston University students: "mostly young, mobile, career-oriented, high-salaried 30- and 40-something individuals" who are too time-squeezed to hire an architect but seek "a luxury home" that they might soon (and easily) sell whenever "it's time to move on.
Vaulted ceilings, the master suite, bay windows, and the expansive foyer are emphasized with little regard for how these interior spaces will shape the overall envelope of the structure.
[26][27] The widespread disdain for the McMansion stems from perceptions that these houses look and feel inappropriate (either by themselves or for a given neighborhood), are extremely wasteful due to their inefficient land usage from suburban sprawl and single-family zoning and the large amounts of materials and utilities needed to construct them, and increase commute times significantly.
Some go even further, saying that these houses give an impression that their owners lack taste or refinement or are pretentious,[20] or that they show a general discordance in architectural preferences.
